1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a raw bar stripping-off and cleaning jig used in a process of stripping off a raw bar, which is in a state that a plurality of magnetic heads or the like in the process of being manufactured are lined up, from a transfer tool to which the raw bar adheres and cleaning the same, and a raw bar stripping off and cleaning method of stripping off the raw bar from the transfer tool and cleaning the same using the raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a manufacturing process of magnetic heads, and particularly in a process before the magnetic heads are cut off into a unit magnetic head, the magnetic heads are dealt with in the form referred to as a raw bar, which is in a state that a plurality of magnetic heads in the process of being manufactured are lined up, having for example, a size of length 40 mmxc3x97width 2 mmxc3x97thickness 0.3 mm or so.
The raw bar, having such a size as mentioned above, is fragile, and thus when the raw bar is dealt with, the raw bar is glued to a so-called transfer tool having a size easy to handle, and the raw bar is dealt with for each transfer tool in such a state.
In this case, finally, a process of stripping off the raw bar glued to the transfer tool from the transfer tool and cleaning the same is indispensable.
Hitherto, in a process of stripping off the raw bar from the transfer tool, there is adopted a method wherein a transfer tool to which a plurality of raw bars are glued is placed on a hot plate to heat the transfer tool so that a waxing adhesive agent is dissolved, and the raw bars are separated from the transfer tool using a plastic plate. After separation of the raw bars, the raw bars are disposed one by one at a slit plate having a raw bar supporting recess portion using tweezers. In the subsequent cleaning process, the slit plate, in which the raw bars are accommodated, is put into a cleaning cage to perform a cleaning by an automatic cleaning machine. After the cleaning, a setting for the subsequent process is performed with alignment of the raw bars in a direction by tweezers.
The use of tweezers to deal with raw bars as mentioned above applies too much force to a raw bar when the raw bar is picked up with tweezers. This causes chipping of raw bars. A method in which no tweezers are used is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open Gazette Hei. 9-207044. According to the method disclosed therein, there is a possibility that when raw bats are stripped off, an edge of a raw bar is hooked. Further, there is a possibility that a cleaning stain remains on a part of a wire, since raw bars are put on the wire for cleaning. The stain cannot be ignored as the device is miniaturized. Thus, while this method is valued in the point that no tweezers are used, it is not a practical method.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig which may avoid necessity for the use of tweezers to strip off raw bars from a transfer tool and perform a cleaning of the same, and makes it easy to deal with the raw bars in processes of stripping off and cleaning of raw bars, and a raw bar stripping off and cleaning method using the raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig for stripping off and cleaning raw bars from transfer tools to which the raw bars are glued, said raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig comprising:
(1) a base wherein at least one pair of frames, on which a plurality of recess portions for supporting the ends of the raw bars after they are stripped off from the transfer tools are arranged at a predetermined arrangement pitch, are arranged across an aperture exposing a portion between the ends of each of the raw bars.
The raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig according to the present invention, as mentioned above, has the base as defined above. This feature makes it possible to sufficiently clean or wash the portion to be used as a device, because, even if a stain remains after cleaning the raw bars, it is associated with only the ends of the raw bars, which are not used as the device.
In the raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that the jig further comprises:
(2) a stripping off member wherein at least one pair of frames, on which a plurality of recess portions for supporting lower edge portions of the transfer tools to which raw bars are glued excepting both ends of a lower surface are arranged at the same pitch as said predetermined arrangement pitch, are arranged across an aperture exposing the raw bars adhered to the lower surface of the supported transfer tools,
wherein said stripping off member is detachably fixed on said base (1), and the recess portions arranged on the frames constituting said base are formed at positions corresponding to the edges of the raw bars adhered to the lower surface of the transfer tools supported by said stripping off member.
In the raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig according to the present invention, as mentioned above, it is preferable that the jig further comprises:
(3) a stripping off suction member having a suction hole at a position wherein said base is placed in a state that said stripping off member, in which the transfer tools wherein the raw bars are glued to the lower surface are arranged, is placed, the position being opposite to the raw bars adhered to the lower surface of the transfer tools, said stripping off suction member being connected to a predetermined suction apparatus and attracting and separating the raw bars from the transfer tools.
In the raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig according to the present invention, as mentioned above, it is preferable that the jig further comprises:
(4) EL cover member having an aperture for exposing upward the raw bars arranged on said base except both ends thereof, said cover member being detachably fixed on said base wherein the raw bars separated from the transfer tools are arranged.
In the raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig according to the present invention, as mentioned above, it is preferable that said stripping off member (2) is detachably fixed on said base by a screw member having a rotatable operating section.
In the raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig according to the present invention, as mentioned above, it is preferable that said stripping off suction member (3) have a hill portion adapted for entering from a lower portion of said base an aperture of said base for exposing the bottom of the raw bars except both ends thereof, and said suction hole is formed on said hill portion at the same pitch as said predetermined arrangement pitch.
In the raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig according to the present invention, as mentioned above, it is preferable that said cover member (4) be detachably fixed on said base by a one screw member having a rotatable operating section.
In the raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig according to the present invention, as mentioned above, it is preferable that in said cover member (4), at least one pair of frames, on which a plurality of projection portions projecting downward toward one edge of the raw bars placed on said base are arranged at the same pitch as said predetermined arrangement pitch, are arranged across an aperture exposing upward the raw bars on said base except both ends thereof.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a raw bar stripping off and cleaning method of stripping off and cleaning raw bars from transfer tools, using a raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig comprising: the above-mentioned base (1), stripping off member (2), stripping off suction member (3) and cover member (4), the raw bar stripping off and cleaning method is as follows:
(a) a raw bar stripping off preparation step in which said stripping off member is fixed on said base, and a plurality of transfer tools, to which a lower surface of the raw bars are glued, are arranged on said stripping off member;
(b) an adhesive agent dissolving step in which of the plurality of transfer tools arranged on said stripping off member fixed on said base, at least lower surfaces of the transfer tools, to which the raw bars are glued, are immersed in a solution, and ultrasounds are applied to the solution so that an adhesive agent, which glues the raw bars to the transfer tools, is dissolved;
(c) a raw bar separation step in which the base, to which a stripping off jig is fixed, is placed on said stripping off suction member to attract the raw bars so that the raw bars are separated from the transfer tools;
(d) a raw bar cleaning preparation step in which said stripping off member is removed from said base in a state that the raw bars are attracted by said stripping off suction member, so that the raw bars are retained on said base, and said cover member is fixed on said base; and
(e) a raw bar cleaning step in which the raw bars are washed in a state that the raw bars are sandwiched between said base and said cover member.
The use of the raw bar stripping off and cleaning jig according to the present invention involves no necessity for picking up raw bars with tweezers in any steps constituting the raw bar stripping off and cleaning method according to the present invention. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to readily deal with a plurality of raw bars at once, and also to transfer the plurality of raw bars to the subsequent step in the state of alignment, and thereby preventing the chipping of raw bars and improving the efficiency in a raw bar stripping off and cleaning operation.